Absolute balance reigns after the first run of the 72nd edition of the 3Tre Madonna di Campiglio on Wednesday January 7th, 2026. The night slalom on the iconic Canalone Miramonti lived up to pre-race expectations, with no fewer than eighteen athletes packed within one second and all outcomes deferred to the decisive second run, scheduled for 9:00 pm (CET).

On an icy surface perfectly prepared by the course crew led by Adriano Alimonta, with temperatures dropping to -12°C, it was Finland’s Eduard Hallberg (born in 2003) who surprised everyone. The young Nordic talent – already third in Levi on home snow – delivered a clean, incisive run to take the lead at the end of the first manche.

Behind him sits Switzerland’s Tanguy Nef, 0.16 seconds adrift, followed by Olympic champion Clément Noël at +0.23. Just behind comes the Norwegian trio: Henrik Kristoffersen fourth at 0.29, Timon Haugan fifth at 0.32 and Atle Lie McGrath sixth at 0.35.

Seventh place for reigning champion Albert Popov (+0.41), who, despite a season that has yet to fully ignite, once again confirmed his strong affinity with the snow of Campiglio. Brazil’s Norwegian-born Lucas Braathen Pinheiro sits eleventh, while a negative surprise came from world champion Loïc Meillard, only 18th after the opening run.

Once again, the first run of the 3Tre brought limited satisfaction for the Italian team. Alex Vinatzer skied out midway down the course after setting the fastest time at the first split, throwing away what could have been a major performance. 

Tommaso Sala did qualify for the second run in 24th place, but will need a standout performance on the final descent to break into the fight for the top positions. Smiles instead for Matteo Canins, who at 27 secured his first-ever World Cup qualification on his home slope, finishing 26th.